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Rhetorical Analysis Of George W Bush Speech On 9/11

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On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush made a speech on the terrorist attack, which took place on September 11, 2001. The people of America needed support and direction on how to handle what just happen. The American people demanded that the President addresses the Nation after the attacks and guide them. Nine days later, President Bush did just that. Over the next few days, emotions ran high in the country. “Will this happen again?” “Is it safe to leave in my home?” many wondered. Everywhere throughout the Nation, airlines had stopped service, the New York Stock Exchange was temporarily suspended, and every tv channel around the country played the latest news about the attack. The American people understandably asked and asked “What’s next?” from their leaders, so when President Bush gave his …show more content…

It displays him professionally sitting in his oval office, with the American and Presidential flag framing him at his desk. The symbolism of patriotism and power seen in this image are affecting the audience in believing that anything Bush would say that evening would be official and be true to the people. For example, “ we will make no distinction between the terrorist who committed these act and those who harbor them.” Based on Bush’s statement about seeking out those who committed the attacks as well as the ones who helped shows that he understands there is no moral distinction between the two. The criminals that committed the attack are just as evil as the ones that helped to plan it out. Therefore his threat is credible in the sense that he is President of the United states and he has the resources to back up his statement. Another example would when he says, “Tonight i ask for your prayers for all those who grieve.” Bush incorporated ethos into the speech by asking the audience to pray for those who grieve. This is ethical because prayer is apart of his moral beliefs. And using this collectively creates the sense of

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